Meditation In Education

The infographic below caught my eye (from YogaDork who is always insightful, witty and thought-provoking) on the same day as an article from ABC News (America)”Meditation Helps Kids Chill Out, Reduce Impulsivity” arrived on my desk.

The article mentioned some recent research studies which support the often talked about positive benefits when children learn meditation. Not wanting to be alarmist they also quoted some worrying statistics on how stressed our kids actually are ..

“One in five children said they worried a lot or a great deal about things going on in their lives, and more than 30 percent admitted to such stress-related symptoms as difficulty sleeping, according to the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America report. Yet, the same report found that only 8 percent of parents were aware that their children experienced any stress at all.”

Andrew Kelly (founder of a children’s meditation program called Boston Buddha who began teaching “mindfulness” techniques to K-5 students in the Milton, Mass., School District) quotes..

“The magic moment where they understand mindfulness is when they can catch themselves not paying attention. That’s their chance to control their impulsivity”.

Meditation not only provides a whole host of physical and mental health benefits .. it also teaches us how to self manage our stress and better understand (and stand with) our true inner self.

This gives us a greater awareness of how we choose to react or act in life.

For students about to embark on exams, learning some simple meditative exercises and tools for relaxation, will not only support a greater sense of wellbeing and ease, but assist with improved focus and learning, and understanding of how we might better manage feelings so they don’t become overwhelming.